SB 228, Geographic Diversity Amendments, is a repeat of efforts last year inSB 66 which failed and is now presented in this bill in a way that makes it look like it is different. It has passed the Senate and may be brought to the House last minute.

- It is a data collection and logistical nightmare.

- The County Clerk's office has said they currently have no way to track this data. Citizens and clerks would be working daily to comb through records to ensure these provisions were met rather than gathering signatures throughout the City. A fluid voter registration list ensures this would be virtually impossible to do!

- Laws and elected officials are not voted for in this way. Were you personally required to have a set percentage in every single precinct to run for office?

- This bill does not solve any perceived issue or one that has already occurred.

Citizens who are boots on the ground must already ensure a percentage of all voters from the previous Presidential election - a difficult thing to do in the time frame allotted.

This bill requires that same percentage gathered from a "majority" of precincts in the City. This is a double whammy on citizens exercising their rights to a referendum or initiative.

As the second state in the Union to adopt this right of redress, I would doubt it was the intent of our State Founding Fathers to continually raise the bar for citizen requirements to exercise this right. We are getting dangerously close to the scenario when it will APPEAR that this right is available, when in reality it will simply be an ILLUSION because the process will have become too difficult. Please, let’s maintain the integrity of this citizen’s right…..or why have it at all?

I urge you to voteNO on SB 228.

Vickie Andersen

Example:

20% of voters who voted in last Presidential election must sign = 5,000 total signatures required

If the city has 50 precincts then SB 228 will require that 25of those precincts must ensure 20% of registered voters in those precincts have signed as well.

A handful of votes shy from a majority of precincts would invalidate the entire referendum - a grossly unfair penalty for citizen's door to door efforts.